BitFenix Shadow Computer Case Review

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Closer Look: Interior

The Shadow uses a standard layout we’ve seen in many other ATX cases: power supply at the bottom, 5.25″ devices at the top, and 3.5″ devices below them. You can fit up to three 5.25″ devices and seven 3.5″ devices.

There’s also a mounting point for a single 2.5″ device at the very bottom of the case. Mounting a device here will, however, preclude the use of the bottom 3.5″ bay.

At the bottom of the case are two more removable filter elements: one at the rear of the case for the power supply intake, and one in front of it for an optional 120mm intake fan (if you’re keeping count, the case supports a total of four fans). It’s nice to have intake filters, but this design means that the clean them you move remove the power supply and/or the extra intake fan. I don’t think many people would bother to do this.

Rather than using conventional standoffs, the Shadow has a central “locating peg” and 8 punched-up areas your motherboard rests on. Mounting screws secure the board to these punched-up areas. It’s a clever way to keep costs down by not having to include brass standoffs.

These plastic peg-clamps secure both 5.25″ and 3.5″ devices: rotate the locking handle vertically and remove the clamp; insert the device, then replace the clamp and rotate the locking handle so that it’s horizontal. Easy!

There is virtually no room– perhaps 1/4″ of clearance– for cables behind the motherboard tray. Normally this would be a real problem.

However, since there are no cable routing holes or even tie-down points on the motherboard tray, we’re not going to run any cables behind it, so the limited clearance won’t be a problem.